In this episode, I talk about my decision to finally start my PhD, or rather, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). After delaying it for years, I realized it was time to dive in. The focus of my DBA is on how small service-oriented companies can grow using AI and automation. I’ve had to narrow my research down significantly, but now I’m looking at how AI can streamline processes in HR, marketing, sales, and operations to help businesses scale faster.

One of the most exciting parts of this journey is seeing how AI can make my research easier. Tools like ChatGPT have helped me with literature reviews, and I’ll be using AI transcription and analysis tools for my primary research. I’m saving months of work just by using automation in my dissertation process, which perfectly aligns with my research topic. Over the next three years, I’ll be applying all of these principles to my own companies and sharing what I learn along the way.

Transcript:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Sweet Buzz! How’s it going, guys? Lately, I’ve been lagging behind on my sales stories, but I’ve been so busy with other things that I thought I’d share them with you. Today’s topic is AI, and how it ties into my PhD journey. I’ve been delaying starting my PhD for a while, thinking “next year will be easier,” but guess what? It never gets easier! So, I finally took the plunge.

Last year, I was ready to start my PhD, but when my wife became pregnant, I thought it wasn’t the right time. Now, I’ve finally started, and I’m pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). It’s different from a PhD in that it’s more applied—focused on research that can be directly used in business. My DBA is all about how small, service-based, bootstrap companies can grow using automation and AI, which is a perfect fit for the work I do.

As I started this process, I realized the importance of narrowing my focus. Initially, I thought, "I’ll just research how companies can grow." But my advisors pushed me to get more specific, so now I’m focusing on how small service-oriented companies can use AI and automation to scale. The idea is to look at all aspects of a company—HR, marketing, sales, operations—and identify how AI can streamline processes and save time. My dissertation will explore these hacks, and I’ll be applying those same principles to my own businesses.

Using AI for my dissertation feels like a cheat code! ChatGPT has already saved me tons of time with literature reviews, and I’ve got tools lined up for transcription and interview analysis. What used to take months can now be done in weeks. I’m excited to dive deeper into how AI can help small businesses grow, and I’m applying all of these ideas to my own companies as I work through this process. I hope to complete my DBA in three years, but until then, I’ll be sharing all the insights I uncover along the way!